AKWA IBOM STATE AND THE UP-COMING NATIONAL CONFERENCE Fellow citizens of Akwa Ibom State, Arrangements appear to be in top gear for the National Conference. As I write, however, I am not yet aware of any carefully articulated agenda for our States participation at this conference. Nor have we distilled the basis on which we, as a State, are prepared to approach this National table. What is on this table? There seems to me to be no immediate clarity on its agenda and on how its resolutions may be implemented to the benefit of all! For all we know, it may well be a conference of Nigerian nationalities purposed at defining the terms under which we are prepared to engage with other amalgamating units in our multi-lingual and multi-ethnic setting. It could even turn out to be a forum mainly for the assessment of the architecture of our federation purposed at re-engineering its foundations to be better able to sustain the load of the Nigerian State. And for all we know, the basis for this conference may well be solely economic and purposed at defining a No Contribution, No Chop principle as an equitable platform for revenue security and equity Whatever the basis of this conference might be, the future of Akwa Ibom State as a federating unit in Project Nigeria is at stake and while I am not aware of a carefully articulated Akwa Ibom position for the National Conference, I am nonetheless aware of the imperatives which must guide our participation at this event: First, we contribute nearly 26% to the federation account from hydrocarbon revenues and are responsible for approximately 12% of the nations GDP as of today (re-based upon the 2010 fundamentals). We are therefore of more significance than other federating units in guaranteeing the nations revenue security and economic stability into the foreseeable future. Secondly, in situ and in the diaspora, our population of nearly 15 million people (as prognosticated by the UNFPA for 2015 exit) is approximately 8% of the aggregate national. Therefore, in purely human capital and revenue terms, we ought to have a voice which is louder in decibel than the average. Thirdly, in strategic military and regional economic terms, our prime location in the Gulf of Guinea region makes us central to national security considerations within this hemisphere. Fourthly, given our access to nearly 200 Kilometers of coastline, out of Nigerias total of about 900 Kilometers, we are by this measure in indirect control of nearly 50,000 Square Kilometers of the nations Exclusive Economic Zone with a very high potential for the marine transport, fishing and bunker economies. Our voice is thus strengthened. Accordingly, I believe that we must not approach this conference table with anything less than a full realization of our strength. But what must we ask for? Coordinate status with other states is no longer a sound federating principle, given our obvious strengths in the listed areas. Akwa Ibom must demand its rightful status as first amongst equals and insist on the political and economic benefits that must be negotiated in sync with this status. The derivation token of 13% does not confer respect, either for our status as 26% contributors to the aggregate or as just, fair and equitable recompense for the ecological damage and loss of other economic resources that we have endured in order to sustain the national economy. We must demand more. 20% could be a useful start point. Federal presence in education, marine transportation, EEZ exploitation, national defense establishments and inland transport infrastructure must be part of the bargain. Federal jobs for our people at levels commensurate with our yield must be guaranteed. Short of these, we would have been shortchanged. To ensure we are not, we must send her first eleven to this conference. We must send people with a deep knowledge of these issues, people with patriotism in their hearts, with courage as their banner, with strength and eloquence in their speech and with fire and scotch in their eyes. We must negotiate a better deal. We have no option outside of this
Posted on: Wed, 12 Mar 2014 23:44:04 +0000
Trending Topics
Recently Viewed Topics
© 2015